


hope i never lose you, hope it never ends

by stevetrevvor



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Ben (Disney: Descendants), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gil and Ben Rights!, M/M, Pining Harry Hook, Sibling Rivalry, get ready for the sea four, you've heard of the core four
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2020-11-28 08:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20963666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stevetrevvor/pseuds/stevetrevvor
Summary: All Ben has ever known is the dark of his father’s underground lair, the bitterness of the Isle, and the baby blanket of navy blue and gold.Descendants, in which Prince Ben is believed to be dead and Hades may not be able to raise his daughter, but he can raise a son, instead.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from cornelia street by taylor swift and it's a very harry hook x ben song specifically for this fic, and the title references hades and ben too

Hades is alone, and he likes it that way. That is, at least, what he tells himself. He is the God of the Dead, ruler of the Underworld; he has always been surrounded by nothing. He ignores the thoughts that drift through his head, of Mal, her smile and her green eyes. He would never say that he missed her, he was a villain and a God. 

This is made even more evident even as he walks the streets of the Isle, villains scuttling out of his way. They fear him as much as they fear his ex wife, perhaps even more so. He walks and walks until he reaches the edge of the Isle where the rocks meet the water. Hades wonders if his brother can feel his presence. He wonders if Poseidon cares that he is alone on an island surrounded by those he despises. 

Hades knows the answer, he wouldn’t dare voice it though. 

He closes his eyes, dulling out the voices on the Isle and listens to the ocean. Once, he had longed to be above the Underworld and lay his eyes upon the oceans and the skies. His dreaming led to his own downfall. That’s his mistake. 

In the next instant, the whole world shutters. 

The God of the Underworld feels the shift of the barrier first and his eyes open. There is nothing there except Auradon standing proudly in the distance. The hypocrisy practically radiates across the water. A sharp cry echoes through the calm and Hades flinches, violently reminded of Mal. 

Hades searches the rocks and the water, scanning each movement until his eyes land on a basket floating in the waters. Against everything this he is, Hades steps into the water, knowing that it is no friend of his and grips the basket tightly in his hands as it drifts close to him. He sets it on a flat rock and pulls himself from the water, positioning his body beside the mahogany coloured basket. 

He already knows what he will see, only a fool would be surprised as he shifts the dark blue blanket away and his eyes find that of a baby. The baby is barely older than Mal, it’s eyes hazel-green as it blinks at him, curious to the world. 

“Well, well.” Hades says. “Where do you come from?” 

He knows that this child doesn’t belong to any villain. The basket is too well made and the blanket too clean and pristine. This child is of Auradon and now it lies in a basket on the Isle of the Lost. There is a harsh cruelty that Hades does not understand. 

The baby lets out a cry, as if aware of its surroundings and the fact that it will never see its parents again. Hades grits his teeth and unclenches his hands, letting himself pick the child up and rested it against the crook of his arm. Unlike Mal, the baby settles almost instantly and waves a scrunched up fist as him. 

“You’re certainly better behaved than Mallie.” He mutters and shifts one edge of the blanket, causing his eyes to find fine lettering. 

At the edge of the blanket, in neat and delicate writing is the name  _ Ben _ . 

“Ben. So that’s your name.” The baby lets out a laugh and Hades feels something inside of him flutter at the sound. 

To love is dangerous. He knows this and understands this deeply. Still, Hades knows that the barrier will never open and Ben is now an orphan in every sense of the word. No villain on the Isle will take him in; they dislike children and can barely stand their own. Hades is a father who loves his daughter - he could do this, whatever  _ this _ is. His attention might make the child soft, but it’s better than being alone and tormented. 

Hades looks out at Auradon and he wonders why heroes could be so cruel as to let their own child slip through their fingers. He, the God of the Underworld, left his own daughter because he thought, in his own twisted way, it was what was best for her. 

“We’re screwed.” Hades muses aloud, and his eyes shift to Ben. “But at least we’re screwed together.”

Maleficent despises him, and he, her. He will never raise Mal, but as he looks at the baby in his arms, he knows he can raise a son just as well.


	2. two

All Ben has ever known is the dark of his father’s underground lair, the bitterness of the Isle, and the baby blanket of navy blue and gold. It’s the only thing that remains of his true heritage and Ben doesn’t even know what that is. 

Living on the Isle, Ben has never known fear, not when his father was the most dangerous thing there. 

It’s hard for Ben, who has been raised and showered in love by Hades to think that he is the most powerful villain on the Isle. It’s hard, because Ben’s earliest memories are of his father tucking him in, pressing a kiss to his forehead, and Cerberus falling asleep on the end of Ben’s bed, his three heads warming Ben’s feet. 

And yet, his father is Hades and his enemies are Ben’s enemies. He learned from a young age that the children always inherited their parent’s enemies. 

“The cards say you’re going to be a just and wise king.” Ben lets out a laugh and shakes his head, looking at the daughter of Dr. Facilier. Celia works for his father, and Ben’s always glad for the girls presence. She likes reading fortunes, especially Ben’s. 

“Your future is fascinating,” Celia had once said. “Learning more is always fun.” 

He lets the girl because there is no harm, although he knows the predictions she makes for his future sometimes bothers his father.

“I’m not a king.” He reminds her, watching as Cerberus scuttles over with a red ball in one of his mouths. As Cerberus drops the ball, Ben picks it up and throws it. The dog spins around and runs towards the ball, knocking over a lampshade as he does so. It’s been almost sixteen years and Cerberus is as tall as a doorway entrance. It’s strange to think that when he was a child, Cerberus would sleep on his bed. 

“You could be,” she voices hesitantly. “Here, on the Isle.” 

“The Isle has no king.” Ben says. “It needs no king.”

He doesn’t say that Mal is the closest thing they have to a ruler, especially over the teenagers and children. Ben has always been Mal’s greatest enemy, even when all Ben wanted to do was learn about the sister he had never known when they were children themselves. 

Ben is their father’s chosen child. Mal is the daughter he left. 

“I have to go.” Ben says, turning to Celia and patting one of Cerberus’ heads. “I’m meant to meet up with Uma and the others.”

Disappointment flashes across Celia’s features and Ben ruffles her hair affectionately. 

“I’ll see you later.” He tells her and walks through the underground lair that he calls home. It’s not much, but it’s more than enough. 

* * *

Ursula’s Chip Shoppe is as similar as the day he first entered the shop nearly a decade prior. 

Pirates sat around eating lackluster food, talking amongst themselves, while Uma serves them and ignores their leers. 

“Well, well.” A voice says to the side and Ben’s head turns in time to see Harry Hook’s smirk. “What do we have here?”

The pirate throws an arm around Ben’s shoulder and the son of Hades finds himself smiling. 

“Hey, Harry.” He replies, Harry’s smirk changes into a smile at the greeting. 

“Took you long enough.” Harry tells him and Ben shrugs apologetically. 

“I was with Celia.” 

“So?” Harry replies. “You’re one of us, first.” 

Ben rolls his eyes fondly and walks to the counter, Harry’s arm still wrapped around his shoulders. Most of the pirates pay them no attention, though some turn to look and they send Ben a glare. The adults on the Isle know Ben doesn’t truly belong there, that he’s not one of them. Harry notices and he bares his teeth. 

“Hello prince.” Uma’s tone is all teasing, and her casual acceptance causes the other pirates to look away from them. 

It had been a joke amongst them, considering Ben’s adoptive father was the ruler of the Underworld. Ben only sends Uma a grin at the remark. He’s so used to Uma’s comments that they simply fly over his head. 

“Where’s Gil?” Ben asks and Harry laughs beside him, causing Ben to look at him. 

“Even later than you,” is the reply he receives. Ben doesn’t say anything, only moving to sit at the bar, with Harry casually leaning beside him. 

“Mal and her little group have been graffiting the Isle.” Uma says simply, but Ben notes the undercurrent of anger in her voice. 

“Ah, yes,” Harry says as he takes a bite of a fry. “Mal and her little dogs.” 

“As long as she doesn’t cross us, it’s fine. Right?” Ben asks and Uma sends him a slightly irritated look. He knows it’s nothing personal. 

“That’s not the point, Ben.” Uma replies, “She’s marking the Isle as hers.” 

“Ay,” Harry Hook agrees, “and we can’t have that.”

The pirate looks to Ben, tilting his head to the side. 

“Isn’t that right, Benny?” He lifts one hand and starts tickling Ben’s chin. “Coochie coochie coo.”

“Quit it,” Ben says, knocking Harry’s hand away and he only laughs. 

It turns quiet amongst the three friends. Uma goes back to working on cleaning the tables, while Harry finishes his food and Ben looks around. He can see the television Ursula is watching in the other room; for as long as Ben has known Uma, he has never liked her mother. Uma deserves better than a mother who yells at her and threatens her, all of his friends do. 

Ben looks to the television on the wall and finds himself focussing on the screen. 

The King and Queen of Auradon were making a royal proclamation that only the people of Auradon cared about. Ben finds himself staring at the Queen Belle’s face; it isn’t the first time he has done this, and Ben remembers the teasing inflicted upon him when he first stared at her. Harry had thought he had a crush on the queen, but Ben insisted that that wasn’t it, that there was something familiar and warm about her. 

A clatter causes Ben to break his gaze with the television screen and look to Uma, who has dropped one of the empty trays as her eyes catch the Auradon news. 

If there is one thing Uma hates more than Mal, it’s the people of Auradon. Ben can’t find it in himself to blame Uma, either. 

“Look at them.” She says in disgust. “Standing there, all high and mighty. Like they’re better than us.” 

“They’re just on the news, Uma.” Ben tells her. “They don’t mean anything by it…”

“The people in Auradon don’t care about us! They make it obvious in every action that they do.” Uma snaps harshly and Ben looks down, chastened. Beside him, Harry is busy looking between his captain and his friend, not saying anything. Ben’s glad for it, he doesn’t want Harry to have to choose. 

He knows that they don’t care, though he can’t help but wish that someone does, that someone cares enough to send for the children on the Isle. They don’t have a choice about who their parents are. 

Ben is a good person. He is his own person. His father’s decisions don’t define him and the decisions of villains shouldn’t define their children. 

They should be allowed to be happy. 


	3. three

After the events at Ursula’s, Uma had given Ben free lunch; Ben know that’s as much an apology as he will get from Uma. 

Harry is silent beside him, making Ben aware that he’s thinking about the disagreement between Uma and Ben. From the corner of his eye, Ben can see Harry looking at the bench - his eyes downward and shadowed by something Ben has never been able to figure out. 

A punch to Ben’s shoulder causes Ben’s eyes to break away from Harry and the son of Hades turns to the figure, a smile breaking across his face as he finds himself looking at Gil. Harry shifts beside Ben and without looking, Ben knows that Harry is looking at Gil, as well. 

“Hey Ben!” Gil says cheerfully. “Hey Harry!”

“Where have you been?” Harry asks, “You were meant to be here ages ago.” 

To Harry, ages ago is only an hour. 

“My dad wouldn’t let me leave.” Gil replies with the same cheer in his voice; Ben narrows his eyes at Gil and he turns his head enough to make eye contact with Harry. The same thoughts enter their minds.

No one on the Isle liked Gaston, Ben least of all. The feeling had always been mutual. Gaston had said Ben reminded him of a ‘beast’ he once knew. 

“Well,” Ben says to Gil, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Thanks Ben!” Gil says, throwing his arm around Ben’s shoulders in the process. 

Ben had met Uma first, both four years old and unaware of the true horrors of life on the Isle. Harry had come soon after, with Gil following behind. There would always be a connection between Ben and Uma; for they were each other’s first friends. With Harry, they had been turbulent during their younger years; Harry jealous of his friendship with Uma, and Ben yearning for the same freedom Harry always seemed to radiate. Now, they had turned into a steady flame, and there was always something unspoken between the two. 

Still. 

Ben liked both Uma and Harry, loved them even. They just weren’t the same as Gil. There was less laughter and more plotting when Uma and Harry were your best friends. 

Gil was Ben’s best friend, his brother even. 

“Good, you’re here.” Uma slashes through Ben’s thoughts with her words. “We have work to do.”

Uma stands before the three boys, looking at each of them. Her face is a mask of beautiful indifference but Ben can make out the fierceness in her eyes, the anger that resides there. 

“What work?” Gil questions between taking the chips from Ben’s plate. Ben follows his movements and smiles when they catch each other's eyes. 

“Mal has decided to take my territory.” Uma spits out the words like they’re acid. “I want to make it obvious that’s not something she can just do.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Ben asks. “I mean, she’s always been unpredictable, but she’s probably only doing this to annoy you.”

Uma leans forward, her dark eyes piercing Ben. 

“She’s doing a great job at it then.” Uma replies. “I don’t care why she’s doing it. Mal can not have everything she wants.”

“I’m going to crush Mal like the little bug that she is.” 

Ben follows Uma as she walks out of the Chippy, Harry and Gil flanking his sides. Ben couldn’t help but feel his stomach sink further and further with every step he took. He has always wanted to know Mal - they were siblings, after all. 

Mal would never want anything to do with him after whatever Uma had planned. 

* * *

Hades couldn’t name a child better loved than his Ben. The children loved him, their parents respected him, if only grudgingly; everyone knew his name. The same could be said for Mal, though she was notorious for her acts of villainy. Hades would be proud if she wasn’t so much like her mother. 

Ben was a good boy, with a good heart, and Hades feared it would get him killed.

Ben never turns his back on others, always finding ways to help even when it’s not needed. Long ago, Hades would have hated it, but now he only rolls his eyes fondly and feels affection settle on his heart. He pretends to find it revolting - Ben and himself know the truth. 

Looking back on it now, the day Hades found Ben drifting in the water was one of the happiest day of his life. Second only to when he tricked Hercules into becoming mortal. It still makes Hades smile when remembering his foolish brother’s face, when he realized his precious son was not like them. 

Hades finds himself lying on his couch, listening to the heavy breaths Cerberus takes as he sleeps soundly. Cerberus will wake when Ben arrives home (the beast had always loved Ben more). Not for the first time does Hades think about Ben and where he comes from. The boy has always been different, softer than others and it is entirely him. Hades had feared that it was him who turned Ben soft and he knows that’s not true. There's goodness in Ben that doesn’t come from nurturing. It is entirely nature. It had been given to him by those who were considered  _ good _ . 

Hades is not foolish, he understands well enough when he sees the news from Auradon; every year the king and queen celebrate their long dead son’s birthday. Hades  _ knows _ , but he can’t bear to let the thought enter his mind. 

If the king and queen of Auradon loved their son enough, they would never have let him slip through their fingers. Hades cares for the boy more than anything, more than his own life. 

He’s selfish, however. Hades could tell Ben his thoughts, though he doesn’t want to lose him. Hades doesn’t want to share Ben with a father who couldn’t protect his own child from disappearing. 

Hades would burn down the world as long as Ben was safe. He would burn everything and he wouldn’t even flinch as the flames touched him. 

Hades is, after all, a god, and the flames were his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took longer than i thought it would, but i was lazy :/


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof, apologies for the long-ass update. this chapter is kind of weird because i liked the first half but then the other is just,, bad. it's also more of a filler chapter because i'd like for ben to go to auradon and all of that, so..

Mal has always hated Ben. She resents him, this shadow of a brother. Ben had always felt like a sham, a punishment for not being what Hades wanted. Their father left her the moment it became convenient and took in a baby who meant nothing to him. 

When they were young, it hadn’t mattered. Mal would see Ben in the streets, racing with the three headed dog Cerberus. Sometimes she would see Uma and Gil, laughing and running beside him. Harry Hook, always chasing, and never far behind. It had always reminded her of herself, with Carlos and Jay. Still, there was always some sort of dislike and she thinks it’s because Ben is friends with Uma. 

Mal couldn’t recall when it started to truly matter. She thinks it began overtime. It was like the chipping of paint, slowly and with time. 

Everyday Mal would see her father standing at the school, waiting and watching. Foolishly, she would think he was there for her; then she would see Ben move past her and run up to their father. Hades always smiled, picked him up and spun around - he would set Ben down and they would walk away from the school, Ben’s chatter filling the air between them. Mal would be left alone, forced to walk by herself if Carlos and Jay weren’t there for one reason or another. Hades would barely even glance at her. 

Mal is resentful - she is her mother’s daughter, and Ben is nothing but a pretender. A boy who doesn’t belong; a boy who has taken the life Mal should have had. 

From the window she stands in, Mal can see Ben walking with Uma and her crew. 

_ Their crew _ , her mind whispers. It is as much Ben’s as it is Uma’s. 

Gil is talking to Harry, his hands gesturing, but Harry isn’t paying attention. At least, not to Gil. Harry has always been watching Ben, watching and watching. He has always chased Ben, too. Even when he hated him. 

Mal tilts her head to the side. She knows that look on Harry’s face; sees it everytime Carlos looks at Jay. Ben is intertwined so deeply within Harry, so tightly, and Harry Hook suffers for it. 

She pities Harry for a moment. 

_ You should know better, _ Mal thinks to Harry.  _ You should have hidden your heart. You should have ripped yourself apart, instead of loving something so untouchable. _

Mal looks at Ben - the sun touches his hair and turns it golden. 

Ben is not a shadow, Mal corrects herself. He’s the sun and he burns everything he touches.

* * *

“Do we have a plan?” Ben asks Uma doubtfully. Her dislike for Mal sometimes blinds her and Ben doesn’t particularly want to start anything else just because Uma wants to.

“Don’t worry, Benny.” Uma says. “We’re just going to talk.”

Gil laughs at Uma’s words. 

“When have you ever _ just _ talked to Mal?” Gil wonders and Uma shoots him a scathing glare. 

“Gil’s right,” Ben says, quick to defend. He always is when it comes to Gil. 

“Yeah Uma, _Gil’s_ _right_.” Ben recognizes Mal’s voice and stops short. Mal walks towards them purposefully, each step calculated. 

Uma’s lips curl in distaste. 

“What are you sea serpents doing in our territory?” Jay, the son of Jafar, asks them. 

“Excuse me?” Uma’s voice is cold and sharp. “ _ This _ is our territory. You simply took it.”

“Maybe you should have guarded it better.” Jay responds. 

“Maybe you should mind your business.” Ben snaps. It’s not that Ben dislikes Jay, it’s that he dislikes when others are patronizing. 

“Yeah, keep your grubby hands off what doesn’t belong to you.” Harry tells Jay. 

“Enough,” Mal raises her voice and shoots Jay a sharp look. “Uma, you’re a pirate. Why do you even need territory on land? I thought the sea was your thing? Why don’t you run along and go chill with the fish?”

“And Ben,” Mal says turning her attention to her adoptive brother, her voice turning sweet. “He’s not even from here. He doesn’t belong.” 

Ben doesn’t need to look at his friends to know that they’re angry. He’s angry, too.

“We all know he’s from Auradon.” Mal continues. It’s a truth that many whisper, though never in front of Ben himself. 

“He’s not.” Harry says forcefully. “He is no Auradon kid.” 

“If he was, would you love him less?” This time, it’s Evie who speaks. Harry stiffens beside Ben, and Ben glances at Harry. He’s pale and rigid - he’s furious. Love has always been Evie’s speciality. 

“This isn’t about Ben.” Uma interrupts. “And it isn’t about Harry.” 

“Look guys, it’s just land. There’s no need to fight.” Evie speaks again, always the mediator. “And let’s not start something that we’ll regret.”

“Give us our territory and we’ll be on our way.” Uma says simply. “Then, we won’t need to fight.”

Mal steps forward, intent on saying something, but Evie places a hand on her shoulder. 

“They’re a team.” Mal says. “Like us. Take one of them away, they’ll fall apart.” 

“What do you plan to do?” Carlos asks, feeling slightly nervous. 

“I’m going to make sure Ben never steps foot on the Isle again.” 


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? getting my act together? i have no excuses for this but i realized that i needed to get back to this.

Ben has positioned himself against the railing as he watched Gil practice his sword skills. Unlike the others, Gil was a slow learner. Uma had wandered off to growl at their crewmates and show everyone who was boss. As loyal as they were, sometimes the crew needed a reminder lest they become too lenient. 

And Harry… well, he had run off after their interaction with Mal and friends the previous day, and Ben hadn’t seen him since. Uma didn’t seem worried, but Ben felt something within him clench when he thought about Harry and his face. 

“_ Would you love him less? _” Evie had said and Ben couldn’t stop thinking about it, even now. He can’t help but wonder how Harry loved him, if it was the way Ben loved all his friends, or if it was more. They had all been friends for so long; Ben thought he knew everything there was to know about Harry and the others. 

Especially Gil, he thinks. Gil had never kept a secret from Ben, even though he had from Uma and Harry. It was just how they were. 

Still, Harry had been scared when Evie said those words. It made Ben angry. For as long as he could remember, Ben had done everything he could to protect his friends. He had always done what was asked of him, too. 

“Gil,” Ben interrupts, his closest friend turning his blue gaze towards Ben. “You need to spread your legs more. It will help with your speed.”

Gil nods seriously, but a smile shifts onto his face, “Thanks, Ben!”

The son of Hades can only shake his head fondly. He lets out a sigh and his eyes drift to the ocean. It truly was beautiful, his uncle’s domain. Ben had never met Poseidon, but his father spoke fondly of this man. It’s strange to think that Hades cares about someone that wasn’t Ben. He remembers Mal, suddenly. 

_ He cares about her _ , his mind whispers. _ He doesn’t talk about it, or her, but she’s his daughter. _

Sometimes he wonders what it would have been like if Hades had raised Mal. In this world, Ben and Mal were siblings. They would be close, protective of each other, but they would also make fun of each other. As children, Mal would threaten to beat up the kids who were mean to Ben, like Uma and Harry had. And Ben, he would patch up the scrapes that Mal would get playing and roughhousing, like he had with Gil. There would be no rivalry between Mal and Ben’s friends - it would just be them. They would tell each other about their problems and their secrets, they would tell each other about their crushes. 

It was a nice dream. But, it was only that. 

A shout interrupts his thoughts and the next thing he knows, something hits him in the head. Ben winces and rubs at the side of his head. 

“Sorry, Ben!” Identical voices say and Ben looks at the twin sons of Smee. They look apologetic and Ben can only smile, he glances at Gil, who had stopped practicing and now stood before them, a worried look on his face. 

“I’m fine,” he tells them. He flashes a smile. “No harm done.”

All three of them let out an identical sigh of relief and Ben wants to laugh. He presses his lips together but that doesn’t stop the amusement from appearing on his face. 

“I don’t want to practice anymore,” Gil says and Ben raises an eyebrow. “Let’s go prank Ursula.”

The son of Hades blinks. That’s definitely a bad idea, the sea witch may not be as powerful, but she’s still dangerous. Uma is a testament to that. 

“Let’s do it.” Ben says. 

* * *

The paint, rope and bucket are placed before them. The two teenagers can hear pirates inside laughing and arguing amongst themselves, Ben glances through the window and he can see Ursula asleep on the couch. He rolls his eyes. 

“This will _ definitely _ work, Ben, I can tell.” Gil voices excitedly. 

“Totally,” Ben replies and he’s careful to make sure that he sounds truthful. He doesn’t want Gil to think that the prank won’t work, or that Ben doubts it. It’s a fairly simple prank and they’ve done it before. It had worked well on Gaston, at least. Still, Gaston is not Ursula. 

“_What _ are you doing?” A voice that is easily recognisable as Harry, says. Both boys turn to their best friend and shoot him identical smiles. Mischievous, trouble-making smiles. 

“Pranking Ursula,” Gil tells him. “Want to help?” 

“I’m in,” Harry says immediately. 

The son of Hook positions himself on the other side of Gil and Ben can only watch as he digs his fingers into the wood panel. There are bags under Harry’s eyes that even the smudged coal can’t cover, his hair was the same ruffled mess, and he just looked tired. None of this matters, though, Harry is still as handsome as ever. 

Ben used to be jealous of Harry. He had always been better at everything… fighting and swordsmanship and sailing and girls. As they grew, girls loved Harry. 

Suddenly, he wonders if it’s more than that. 

Harry was attractive in a way that was physically painful to him. Harry was attractive to him like a heart attack. The thought doesn’t scare him as much as it should. 

_ It doesn’t matter _ , he thinks. _ Harry could have anyone on the Isle. He could even have Uma, if he asked. He will never want Ben. _

The thought makes his heart clench. 

“Ben?” Gil says and Ben realizes that he’s been staring at Harry, who is looking at him with those eyes. “You ready?” 

“Definitely,” Ben says and he coughs. “Let’s do this.” 

The blonde haired boy nods and glances over at Harry. 

“If you get scared, you can always hide behind me,” Gil says to Harry. “I’ll be hiding behind Ben.” 

The teenagers exchange a glance as Gil walks away. They stand up and hurry after, picking up the supplies as quickly as possible. 

“He’s charming,” Harry says sarcastically, nodding towards Gil. 

“Yeah, he is.” Ben replies honestly. Anyone would be lucky to have Gil. When Harry looks at him, Ben only smiles. He wants to say more, but finds that he can’t. 

“Hurry up, you guys!” Gil calls from up ahead. 

Ben laughs, “We’re coming!” 

As the teenagers quicken their pace, Harry asks, “This isn’t going to work, is it?” 

For a moment, Ben pretends to be thoughtful, considering the question. “No.” 

Harry laughs and Ben can’t imagine a life without this. 

**Author's Note:**

> instead of finishing my other fics i've decided to write a new one absolutely no one asked for and yet i always deliver


End file.
